Monthly Archives: October 2016

IPR Protection in China for the Medical Device Industry: Case Study

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pharma-sectorIn today’s blog post we will take a look at a case study from the medical device industry in order to explore how important it is to register and obtain IP rights in China before starting to do business in or with China. The case study will also show that persistent IP enforcement is one of the key factors to IP protection and business success in China. 

Background of the Case

A European company in the dental instruments sector was selling their product in China through a Chinese distributor. They discovered a competitor in China was offering a similar, but lower-specification product, using an identical exterior design, colour scheme, and control interface. The technical manual, diagrams and parts of their brochure appeared in part to be directly copied from the original. Overall, the competitor’s product gave the appearance of being similar in function to that of the European company, although its performance level and price were much lower. Continue reading “IPR Protection in China for the Medical Device Industry: Case Study” »

IP Protection in China for the Food & Beverages Sector: Focus on GIs

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gi-pictureLast week China IPR SME Helpdesk organized an exciting webinar on IP protection in the food and beverages sector, focusing on the protection of Geographic Indications. As the topic was very popular, we decided to follow it up with a blog post, focusing on the protection of GIs. The blog post gives an overview of the GIs’ protection in China and offers some advice on how to register GIs. 

Food and Beverages Sector in China

The food and beverage (F&B) industry encompasses the formulation, processing, production, distribution in wholesale or retail, and delivery of food products.  Recent research shows that an increasing number of European F&B SMEs are making significant investments in emerging East Asian markets, particularly China, with new local product development and national business strategies. While this continues, changes are occurring in the industry that is redefining how companies grow, operate, and manage risk. Intellectual property rights (IPR) are a key component of these developments, thus increasing the need to protect those rights in several countries.

When it comes to Chinese Laws and Regulations, the F&B industry is a highly regulated sector. Foreign companies need to apply for a food production license to ensure that they meet the requirements for manufacturing capabilities and environmental regulations. Foreign products need to conform to specific standards and protocols depending on the type of products. Chinese labels need to be applied to the products to complete the Customs clearance and enter the country. In addition, a separate food and beverage distribution license is required to sell in China. Continue reading “IP Protection in China for the Food & Beverages Sector: Focus on GIs” »

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program and Patent Information Data Exchange Between Vietnam and Japan

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patent-prosecution-highwayToday’s blog post has been kindly drafted for us by our IPR experts Mr. Max Ng and  Ms. Amira Nabila Budiyano from the Gateway Law Corporation, who will discuss the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between Vietnam and Japan. The Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program is important as it can accelerate the examination of patent applications in Vietnam. The experts will explain how the Patent Prosecution Highway works and how SMEs from Europe and around the world can benefit from the program.  

Background 

One of the problems currently faced by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam (“NOIP”) is the increasing backlog of patent applications, which is one of the main reasons for the delayed examination of patent applications in Vietnam. This may adversely affect the quality of patent examination, as the bigger the backlog, the less time the examiners would have for reviewing the patent applications. The backlog of patent applications may further hinder the innovation process of the country while also posing a real concern to foreign businesses and investors wanting to venture into the Vietnam market. The Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the NOIP and the Japan Patent Office (“JPO”), which came into effect on 1 April 2016, is therefore a much welcomed move by the NOIP to cope with the increasing backlog and accelerate examination of patent applications in Vietnam. Continue reading “Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program and Patent Information Data Exchange Between Vietnam and Japan” »